principal’s corner...school with 686 students this year. we have 343 seventh graders and 343...

Special Points of Interest: Yearbook—2

Ski/Snowboard Club—Page 23

Dates to Remember—Page 24

Principal’s Corner A message from Thomas Einhorn, Principal, Newtown Middle School

September 2019

The L

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Roar

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Welcome to Newtown Middle School and the 2019-2020 school year! Our be-ginning has been exciting, yet smooth, and you can feel confident that all of us here at NMS are working together to make your child’s learning experience this year the very best yet! We opened school with 686 students this year. We have 343 seventh graders and 343 eighth graders, spread among eight clusters. We are welcoming some new staff mem-bers this fall! Each is wonderfully capable and creative and will enrich the learning experiences of our students in all kinds of ways.

Lisa Petrovich - School Counseling Secretary

Sue Da Pra - Main Office Clerk

Christina Chase- Math Teacher, 8 Green

Marisa Underberger - School Counselor

Marcie Rockwell - School Psychologist (Part time)

Roxanne Buzinski - Art Substitute for Mrs. Ladue

Mike Delvecchio - School Security Guard

Elizabeth Coulter - Para Educator

Paul Toaso- Para Educator

Cheryl Romeo - Para Educator

Francis Saraceni - Building Substitute

You will be learning about many oppor-tunities to be involved in your child’s ed-ucation in the months ahead. We en-

courage you to read the Lion’s Roar newsletter, published generally the first Friday of each month and available for reading on our website and sent directly to your email. Please plan to participate in our parent conferences, which will begin in late October, to volunteer in the school, and to join in PTA activities as they occur throughout the year. Our PTA meetings will begin with our first meeting on September 18th at 9:15 am in our Library Media Center. My first parent Roundtable will be Tuesday, October 22nd at 9:30a.m. You will hear more about Roundtable in next month’s Lion’s Roar. If you have any questions or if you would like to speak with me, please tele-phone me or make an appointment to come in. My telephone number is 203-426-7642, and my email address is [email protected]. I look forward to seeing you and we are look-ing forward to a great school year.

All the best,

Tom Einhorn

Assistant Principal News Pages 2-8

Counseling Office Page 9-10

Student Council Page 11

PTA News Page 18-20

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

about:blank

about:blank

mailto:[email protected]

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Assistant Principal’s Corner By Jim Ross, Assistant Principal

Welcome back to school! I am looking forward to working with you and most importantly,

your children, to make this the very best school year. The transition back to school is exciting,

but also comes with its challenges. Below are some helpful insights that will help your

children have a successful transition.

MANAGING BACK-TO-SCHOOL TRANSITIONS: TIPS FOR PARENTS

by Mark A. Lyon

In a National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) publication on “Back-to-School

Transitions,” Feinberg and Cowan (2004) point out that getting a new school year off to a

good start can influence children’s attitudes, confidence, adjustment to and performance in

school, both academically and socially. The transition from summer fun and leisure to the

more structured demands of school can be difficult for children and parents. They note that,

“even children who are eager to return to class must adjust to the greater levels of activity,

structure, and, for some, pressures associated with school life”. While some of the demands

for adjusting to school fall on the child, parents can assist their children with this transition by

planning ahead, anticipating potential problems, being realistic about what needs to be

accomplished, and maintaining a positive attitude. Following are some of Feinberg and

Cowan’s suggestions for easing the transition back to school and promoting a successful

school experience:

.Before School Starts Be sure your child is in good physical and mental health.

Review all of the information sent by the schools as soon as it arrives.

Mark your calendar with important dates, such as Open House and Parent Conferences.

Make copies of all health and emergency information for later reference.

Buy school supplies early and fill backpacks a week or two before school starts.

Plan to re-establish bedtime and mealtime (especially breakfast) routines at least one week

before school starts.

Encourage young children to play quiet games, do puzzles, flash cards, color or read as

their early morning activities. This will help ease them back into the learning process and

school regimen.

Visit the school with your child.

Designate and clear a place to do homework.

The First Week

Clear your own schedule. Be ready to provide needed assistance to your child.

Make lunches the night before school.

Leave plenty of time to wake up, eat breakfast, and get to school.

Review with your child what to do if they get home after school and you are not there.

Review your child’s schoolbooks with them, and talk about what they will be learning this

year in school.

THE L ION’S ROAR

Assistant Principal’s Corner (cont’d) By Jim Ross, Assistant Principal

Familiarize yourself with all the professionals in the school building or district who can

serve as a resource for your child.

Overcoming Anxiety

Children absorb their parent’s anxiety, so model optimism and confidence for your child.

Don’t over-react if the first few days are a little rough. Maintain a positive attitude.

Acknowledge anxiety over a bad experience the previous year. Help your child with

strategies for coping with difficult situations. Let them know there are people at school who

can assist them with problems.

Arrange get-togethers with some of your child’s classmates before school starts and in the

first week to re-establish social connections.

Extra Curricular Activities

Go for quality, not quantity. Your child will benefit most from one or two activities that are

fun, reinforce social development, and teach new skills.

Consider your family schedule and personal energy level. Too many activities may result in

increased family stress.

Select activities where you have someone with whom you can carpool.

Find out from the teacher which days will likely be heavy homework or test days and

schedule extracurricular activities accordingly.

If your child does not want to participate in extracurricular activities, consider other options

like planned visits to the library, monthly reading programs, or scheduled play times with

other children.

Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences

Communication amongst parents and teachers is a critical component for the success of our

students. Parent/teacher conferences are one of the many opportunities that parents have to

collaborate with the teachers to review and modify student success plans. Please contact your

cluster teachers for more details.

Fall Conference Dates: Fall Conference Dates:

Wednesday, October 23rd 12-4 pm

Thursday, October 24th 4-7 pm

Friday, October 25th 12-4 pm

During these days, students will have a 3-hour early dismissal day. The student

day will end at 11:32 p.m. and lunch will be served.

Middle School Drop-off and Pick-up Procedures

Students should not arrive at school before 7:30 a.m., unless they have made prior

arrangements with their teachers to receive extra help. If they arrive between 7:30 a.m. and

7:50 a.m., they will report to the cafeteria (A-Wing homerooms) or the B-Gym (C-Wing

homerooms). The Library Media Center is open at 7:50 a.m. for student use.

Parents who drive children to school between 7:30 a.m. and 7:50 a.m. have two drop-off

locations:

The horseshoe area or

The cafeteria entrance (If you are facing the building from the street, it is on the left side

near the softball field).

The main parking lot is not a drop off point. REMINDER…THE HORSESHOE IS A “NO

PARKING” ZONE. Also, please note the sign in the horseshoe area in the morning. Parents

should pull as far forward as possible (the overhang extends the length of the building) to

alleviate congestion on Queen Street.

Parents who pick up their children at the end of the day at the student pick-up area behind the

school at the cafeteria should do so by 2:45 p.m. The horseshoe is not a designated pick-up

area as this is designated for walkers only. After 2:45 p.m., students can wait in the main lobby

be picked up at the school’s main entrance.

A student who is being dismissed during the school day must bring in a note signed by a parent

or guardian to the C-Wing office before school. The note should state the time and reason for

the dismissal. A student will NOT be dismissed until a parent or guardian signs out his/

her child from the C-Wing office.

We certainly value every child’s safety and appreciate your cooperation.

Follow us @NMSHappenings


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NMS Bus Pass Policy

If a student needs to ride a different bus, a student must bring in a parent/

guardian signed note to Mrs. Frobey in the C Wing Office when he/she arrives at

school. This note should state the child’s name, homeroom teacher, date(s) of bus

change, reason for bus change, and address to where the child should now be

going (or different bus number). If approved, the child will be given a one-time

bus pass.

Any questions can be directed to Mrs. Frobey at 203.426.7638

or [email protected]

NEWTOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL

ATTENDANCE

If your child is out sick, taking a day off for personal reasons, or will be late in

getting to school, please call the NMS attendance line at 203.270.6145. Voicemail

is available to take calls 24/7. If you prefer, you can also call the C Wing Office

at 203.426.7638.

For your information, if you forget to call your child in by approximately 9:00 a.m.,

an automated voice message will call your home and cell phone numbers. You may

also receive texts/emails or a Power School notification if that is how you signed

up at the beginning of the school year.

If you have any questions on this automated system, please call Mrs. Frobey at

203.426.7638.

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NYA BUS POLICY

NYA BUS POLICY

8.26.19

A bus will be provided Monday through Friday to the Newtown Youth Academy

(NYA). The NYA bus will begin Tuesday, September 3rd (please see the NMS

website for updated dates) and run through the school year.

The NYA bus procedures are as follows:

Parent/legal guardian must send in a note giving permission for their child to

ride the NYA bus. Parent(s) may send in a blanket note for the entire year

(I give permission for ____________ to ride the NYA bus whenever

necessary for the 2019/2020 school year). This note should be addressed

to Mrs. Frobey in the C Wing Office.

The NMS student MUST sign up each day she/he wishes to ride the NYA

bus by 9:00 each morning. A clipboard will be available in the C Wing Office.

This timeframe will be strictly adhered to due to All-Star scheduling.

Due to overcrowding, only the first 25 students to sign up will be allowed on

any given day. If your child is not among the first 25, she/he will be

instructed to call home to arrange alternative transportation.

The NYA bus will be bus 27 – first wave – first bus in line (near Queen

Street)

The NYA bus will run on scheduled early dismissal days (not early dismissal

days due to weather conditions when most afternoon activities are

cancelled).

Each student must keep their backpack, gym bag, sports equipment, etc. on

their lap during the ride from NMS to NYA.

Any questions relating to the NYA bus should be directed to Mary Pat Frobey at

203-426-7638

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SECURITY GUIDELINES for NMS

Upon entering Newtown Middle School, each person will be

asked to show a form of photo identification to the security

guard. The visitor will then sign-in and be given a pass. Up-

on leaving, each visitor is to sign-out and return the pass to

the security guard.

The following is also in effect for items brought to school

for students during the school day:

Please bring the item to the security guard. You will be

asked to fill out and provide your child’s name, homeroom

teacher, and time dropped off. The timeframe in which

your child will receive the item is as follows:

given to the student during their lunch

if item is brought to school prior to

his/her lunch period

given to the student at 1:00 p.m. if item

is brought to the school after his/her

lunch period

given to the student after the end-of-

school bell if item is brought to the

school after 1:00 p.m.

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SECURITY GUIDELINES for NMS (cont’d)

Under no circumstances will class be disrupted to get an

item/message to a student nor will be parent/guardian be al-

lowed passed the entrance vestibule to bring item to an of-

fice.

Your cooperation in the above is greatly appreciated for

the safety of all students and staff.

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Counseling Office

Welcome to a new year 8th graders!

8th grade will be filled with new opportunities to explore your futures! Mrs. Doehr and Miss

Connelly will continue our lessons in Road Trip Nation this year with a focus on setting goals

and making educated choices for high school classes. We are working along side all of your

teachers, cluster AND unified arts, to help you become more aware of your strengths, interests,

talents and skills. In December, we will be hosting our annual Career Day which you will hear

more about soon.

In early Fall, Henry Abbott Tech HS and Shepaug Valley HS for Agriscience will both be

coming to talk to all 8th graders about their programs. You can follow these links for more

information online.

http://abbott.cttech.org/programs.html

https://www.region-12.org/our-schools/shepaug-valley-school-6-12/academics

Anyone interested in applying to these schools or any private high schools will need to be

aware of the timelines and deadlines involved in applications. The counseling office processes

all of the applications and we will have updated information on our webpage by mid-

September as to our procedure.

8th grade is exciting and as you have already seen, is very different from 7th grade. Some tips

to help you find/continue success this year are:

Set aside time each day to organize your school materials at home- the pace is faster in 8th

grade and staying organized is key

Ask teachers for help if you are struggling with in class content. Practicing self advocacy

skills is a good habit to get into for high school and beyond!

Manage your time by setting a goal for yourself with how much time you expect to spend

on each subject for homework. Then compare that to how much time it actually takes you.

(This does not include the time you spend checking your social media BTW)

Practice self discipline by keeping your phone away and off during HW time. We know,

we know… THIS will be very challenging. But you may notice that HW gets done much

faster and you are more efficient without the distraction.

Use your planner or other means to keep track of homework assignments- both short term

and long term.

Get out of your comfort zone and try meeting new people, get involved in new activities,

do something totally different even if it’s just once! You may make a wonderful discovery

about yourself or someone else!

Get involved in after school clubs and activities including ones in our community- it’s

important to balance work and fun!

We look forward working with you this year and watching you grow!

Mrs. Hague-Doehr clusters 8 Purple and 8 Green and Miss Connelly clusters 8 Blue and 8 Red

http://abbott.cttech.org/programs.html

https://www.region-12.org/our-schools/shepaug-valley-school-6-12/academics

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Counseling Office (continued)

Greetings parents! The counseling department of NMS is proud to offer a series of Coffee

Talks during the 2019-20 school year. These Coffee Talks are intended to be an informal

gathering of parents and school counselors to provide information on topics that are relevant to

families. The first Coffee Talk of the year will be held on Friday, October 11th from 7:30am-

8:30am at Newtown Middle School Room B6.

The topic for this first session will be the “Transition Back to School”. Parents of 7th and 8th

grade student are all invited to attend. We’ll cover the transition process from 6th grade to 7th

grade and hear any feedback from parents on further supports they would like in the future.

As well as, how did your 8th grader transition back from summer? We would like to hear

about your experience of back to school and what were some things that really helped your

student.

Coffee and light refreshments will be provided.

We will have additional Coffee Talks scheduled throughout the year covering different topics.

Please save the date and plan on attending our first Coffee Talk on October 11th. Please

RSVP to Stacey Premus at 203-426-7645 or [email protected]. Hope to see you

there!

Susan Connelly Tina Broccolo

Tanya Hague Doehr Marisa Underberger

8th Grade Counselors 7th Grade Counselors


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We hope you have an incredible start to the year!

Student Council News By: Sue Musco and Shari Oliver

The Student Council Welcomes You to Newtown Middle School!

Student Council is a great way to get involved in our school's community! Student Council members work together to organize a number of school activities throughout the year with the goal of building a caring and supportive community. Here are just a few activ-ities that NMS Student Council Members participated in during the 2018-2019 school year: ● planned student-led cafeteria games and activities that encourage students to interact and connect with their peers in a fun and engaging way ● collected over 40 boxes of food for our Thanksgiving Food Drive ● participated in school wide events such as the Veterans Breakfast and Assembly and the Senior Tea, among other events ● planned the 8th Grade Moving Up Dinner Dance ● Created school wide, surprise “kindness” events All students are welcome to join Student Council. Only those who would like to hold a lead-ership position are required to give a speech. If you are interested in how you can get in-volved please attend our first meeting in room C9 on Monday, September 9th. If you are unable to attend you can email Mrs. Musco at: [email protected] or Mrs. Oliver at: [email protected] We look forward to meeting you soon!

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YEARBOOKS ARE ON SALE NOW!

Take advantage of our Back to School offer for $34.00, with $6.00

personalization and free icons running until 9/27/2019! On 9/28, the

price increases to $36, and icons will cost $4 each. Click THIS LINK to go

directly to the NMS page at, enter your information, and you’re done!

Please be sure all information is complete and accurate [your child’s

homeroom teacher is especially important!], and that you save your

confirmation email. If you have any questions, please email Miss Lang –

[email protected] .

YEARBOOK CLUB STARTING SOON!

The yearbook club will meet periodically on Wednesdays this year, beginning on

9/25 and running through March; the full schedule will be announced at a later

day. We are hopeful that there will be a late bus beginning in October, but until

then students must arrange a ride home at 3:45. Please fill out and return the

permission slip below, and see or email Miss Lang with any questions.

_______________________________________ has my permission to participate in the Yearbook

Student name

Club for 2018-2019. Student is in cluster ________________ student NPS email

__________________________.

Parent/Guardian Signature ________________________________________________________

Parent/ Emergency Contact: __________________________ __________________________

Yearbook By: Susan Lang

NEWTOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL UNIFIED SPORTS

Here at Newtown Middle School, we have a Unified Sports Program in which people with and without intellectual disabilities come together to form a team. There are three seasons in which we offer unified sports. The sports that we offer are soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter

and track/volleyball in the spring. If you are interested in learning more about the program, there will be a meeting TBD.

Please follow Newtown Middle School Athletics on Twitter @NMSAthletics17 for all sports related announcements.

In this program for each season, the coaches try to match up partners with the athletes to allow for a successful partnership.

Below is some info taken from the CIAC website that explains in detail what Unified Sports is all about.

The CIAC/Special Olympics Unified Sports® Program provides a forum for positive social interaction between

intellectually disabled and non-disabled students. As Unified® teammates train and compete together they foster

ties that develop into friendships both on and off the athletic field.

Participation in Unified Sports® leads to new friendships, improved self-esteem and positive changes in attitude,

behavior, and performance.

The CIAC/Special Olympics Unified Sports® Program helps to foster an inclusive school community where the

values of tolerance, patience and sensitivity are cornerstones. Please visit this link to check out some videos http://

ciacsports.com/site/?page_id=36

Click on videos and play the first video at the top

If you have any questions about the program, please email either Ken Kantor or Elizabeth Gallo (Unified Coaches)

[email protected]

[email protected]

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Unified Sports By: ken Kantor and Elizabeth Gallo

http://ciacsports.com/site/?page_id=36

http://ciacsports.com/site/?page_id=36



NEWTOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS PROGRAMS

Dear Parents and Guardians and Students,

Newtown Middle School offers some interscholastic sports in each of the three season. The sports offered are as follows: Fall - 7th and 8th Boys and Girls Cross Country

7th and 8th Co-ed Unified Soccer

Winter - 7th grade girls basketball 7th grade boys basketball 8th grade girls basketball 8th grade boys basketball 7th and 8th Co-ed Unified Basketball

Spring - 7th and 8th girls softball 7th and 8th boys baseball 7th and 8th Co-ed Unified Track/Volleyball

In each season, all parents and guardians must sign up for FAMILYID to sign off on all docu-ments needed in order to participate or tryout for any middle school team. Also, an up-to-date physical must be on file in the health office. A physical is good for 13 months from the date of the exam.

Directions for creating an account on FAMILYID

1. Go to FAMILYID.COM 2. Click find a program 3. Type Newtown Middle School Athletics 4. On the bottom of screen click register 5. Create an account 6. If you already have an account, you may be able to add a child

***Only Cross Country is available now on the website

The other sports will be added shortly

Parents - we encourage you to follow us on twitter to get notifications of upcoming meetings, practice/game/meet dates, times and locations

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact either Ken Kantor or Tom DeBenedetto

[email protected]

[email protected]

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Sports Programs



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Nurse’s Office By: Jocelyne Taweh, RN and Andrea Trager, RN

Backpack Basics for

Healthier Kids

Used correctly, backpacks can be a good way to carry all the books, supplies and personal items needed for a typical school day. Back-packs are designed to distribute the weight of the load among some of the body’s strongest muscles. However, backpacks that are too heavy or carried incorrectly can injure mus-cles or joints and contribute to back pain or other problems.

The Proper Backpack is: No wider than the user’s chest Worn no higher than the base of the neck Worn no lower than 2 to 4 inches below the

waist Supported by a waist or chest strap Made of lightweight material A Good Backpack has: A padded back Several compartments Side compression strap A waist or chest strap Reflectors Two wide, padded shoulder straps

How to Use a Backpack

To Wear It: Facing the backpack, bend your knees,

hold the backpack with both hands, and straighten your knees to lift it to the waist.

Apply one shoulder strap at a time. Be sure to always use both shoulder

straps. Snugly adjust it between your neck and the curve of your lower back using the shoulder straps . To Load It: Keep it light—pack only what it needed for

the day. Place the heaviest objects so they will be

closest to your back. Use compartments to distribute the

weight and keep things for sliding. Hand-carry heavy books to avoid exces-

sive weight in the backpack. Clean it out daily.

If a backpack forces the wearer to lean forward, it’s overloaded

and some items should be removed. Carrying an overloaded back-

pack can cause discomfort and, over time, lead to back injuries

and other problems. If the backpack weighs more than 15% of

the carrier’s weight, it’s too heavy. To determine the proper maxi-

mum weight for a backpack, multiply the user’s body weight by

0.15. If a heavier load is unavoidable, consider using a

backpack with wheels.

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Nurse’s Office By: Jocelyne Taweh, RN and Andrea Trager, RN

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Student Based Health Center

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PTA News

Page 15

NMS PTA

Greetings Newtown Middle School Families and Friends,

We would like to welcome back returning students and families! We also extend a very heartfelt wel-

come to our new NMS families. To all of you, we look forward to making 2019/2020 a fun and pro-

ductive year. We are honored to be elected as the NMS PTA CO-Presidents, along with our newly

elected Executive Board. We are thankful for their commitment and dedication to the NMS PTA.

To the PTA Executive Board, committee chair leaders and all of our volunteers, We

look forward to working will all of you this year, some for the first time. We know it

will be a great year because of the amazing volunteers we have on the NMS PTA.

The purpose of the PTA is to first and foremost support our students. In addition, it supports the fac-

ulty, staff, parents and the local community. Your NMS PTA has been focused on preparing an en-

hanced educational environment for all of our students.

An effective and successful PTA requires support and involvement of the parents of our students.

Your first opportunity to show support is to become a member of the NMS PTA. Our membership

form has been sent home in your students back to school packet and will also be attached to this

newsletter. We encourage each of you to join!

The second way to show your support will be to participate in the events and fundraisers that we

have planned throughout the year. Whatever level of participation you choose, your time and in-

volvement will be greatly appreciated. Please consider volunteering, it really does make a difference!

Our first NMS PTA General Meeting which will be September 18, 2019 at 9:15am in room B6. We

will be discussing and voting on our 2019/2020 fundraising endeavors this year including our Ben’s

Bell Mural, and a NEW Makerspace in our Library Media Center! We are excited for the upcoming

year. Please contact us at anytime with questions or suggestions at [email protected] We

are here to assist you in any way we can. On behalf of the entire Executive Board, we look forward

to meeting and working with each of you!

Warm regards,

Melissa Beylouni and Kristen Bonacci — NMS PTA CO- Presidents

[email protected]


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SKI/SNOWBOARD CLUB It may be 80 degrees, but it is time to start planning!!!

5 Trips (Friday evenings) to Mohawk Mountain during January-February

Participation is Limited.

NEW Sign-up Procedure: Forms will be available on our website beginning October 1st. Completed paper-work and payment in full will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until Thursday, October 31st.

Monitor NMS Ski/Snowboard Club website for further information and forms (available October 1st).

Club Coordinators: Bonnie Hart, Bruce Moulthrop and Kerry McKeegan

Image courtesy of Jeff Bucchino, “The Wizard of Draws” http://www.wizardofdraws.com

http://www.wizardofdraws.com

September 5th

Labor Day

No School

Sept 11th

DC Parent Trip Meeting

8th grade only

6-7pm

September 18th

PTA General Meeting

9:15AM

September 30th

No School

Rosh Hashanah

Dates to Remember Look for details in the Lion’s Roar or on the NMS website http://www.newtown.k12.ct.us/nms/cal/

Page 17 THE L ION’S ROAR

October 4th

Staff Development

2 Hour Delay

October 9th

No School

Yom Kippur

October 16th

PTA General Meeting

9:15AM

October 19th-20th

Scarecrow Exhibit

October 23rd-25th

Student Conferences

Early Release Day

11:32PM

http://www.newtown.k12.ct.us/nms/cal/

THE L ION’S ROAR

principal’s corner...school with 686 students this year. we have 343 seventh graders and 343...

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